Dan Sweeney

Dan Sweeney

Interview

Introduce yourself…

My name is Dan Sweeney. I’m born in Birmingham and play football for Solihull Moors FC.

How important is football for you?

Football is my life. It’s all I’ve known my whole life and every day I wake up I am grateful for the job (if you can even call it that) that I have. There’s a lot more to a professional footballer than people think, things they don’t see but part of the profession is not to be distracted or let anything off the pitch affect you on the pitch and training ground. You have to be very very strong mentally.

What is your best moment in your football career?

The best moment of my career is a tough question.. It’s a popular question as well.. Probably signing my first ever professional contract with Kidderminster at 17. My dream was to be a professional footballer and to achieve that at such a young age was special to me

Who are the most important people within football environment?

The most important people within the football environment are, yourself most importantly, your team mates and staff in and around the football club but one thing I will always say which makes football what it is.. Are the fans, they don’t get the credit they deserve in my opinion, they make the game so special.

How do you prepare for an (important) competition? (music, rituals, etc.)

My preparation for games is relatively simple, I must listen to music weather that is in the changing room, or my headphones. I will have 2 meals before a game, around 30 minutes after I wake up I will have breakfast(porridge, fruit and fibre cereal) and 3 hours before kick-off time I will have my pre match meal, sweet potato, skinless chicken, scrambled egg on brown toast, few pieces of fruit and around 2 or 3 litres of water.

You have also played football for Halesowen Town and Stourport Swifts. How did you experience these periods?

My first experience at Halesowen came when I was sent there on loan from Kidderminster Harriers aged 17, I remember we had ‘The Number 9 Derby’ Halesowen v Stourbridge and the manager pulled me in the office and said he needs an experienced team so I’ll be starting on the bench, I was devastated because I heard all about how much this game was talked about, I ended up coming on after 12 minutes as the striker came off injured, I scored 4 minutes after coming on, it was an unforgettable moment for me, I also managed to assist another and we won the game 2-1, I was voted man of the match and I still haven’t opened the bottle of champagne I was given dating the game and team involved on the day. 

I went to Stourport swifts after not doing myself any favours in football, I got to 18 after playing the rest of the season with Kidderminster, I was acting unprofessional, stopped doing things I needed when I was injured which kept me out for longer than expected, I went to Stourport on loan to get as many games and minutes as I could, I realised that if don’t stay professional and think you’ve made it, it is so easy to slip down the football ladder, no disrespect to Stourport at all because I really did enjoy my time at that club and still speak too some of the players who play for the club today. This might sound daft but football isn’t just how good you are at football, it involves, attitude, punctuation, work ethic, willingness, sacrifices and a lot more things that I myself have experienced.

In May 2017 you left Kidderminster and struggled with injury. Is your injury now disappeared? How did you come down from your injury?

As I said previously, my injury was a massive setback for me in my career, I didn’t do the right things to  fully get back from my injury which caused me to be unfit to play for Kidderminster for over 6 months. With no football for half a year I didn’t stand much chance of finding a club in and around Kidderminster level, I went to Stourport swifts which helped me get match fit and really get over my injury.

At which club do you have learned the most so far?

I have learnt a lot at every club I’ve been at because there’s new personnel and people in every club, but Kidderminster and Solihull moors I have learned a hell of a lot about being a professional and maintaining/bettering standards. It’s harder to stay as a professional than it is to get there in my opinion and I will stick to that forever. It really relates to me

What’s your ultimate dream?

My ultimate dream is to play football in the EFL, just like every footballer, also playing for the club your support, mine being Birmingham City. Doing either of the 2 will be a dream come true for me

What is your dream for your football career ?

My dream is to play and stay professional for as long as my body will allow me too. Football can be a cruel game, you’re not guaranteed a long career, it can be over before it’s even started.

The beauty of the game as I said previous are fans, and one club other than the club I support, I’d love to play for at Selhurst Park is Crystal Palace, to me that’s a real football club and have admired the club for some time. Birmingham City will always be my number 1 club though, that’s something that will never change.

---